We have created At-Home rituals for each day, and also listed other resources that might help you deepen the faith of your household.

We are not suggesting that you should use every resource on this page, but offer them as a buffet. Choose the ones that work for your household, modify them to fit your needs, and ignore the rest. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Dawn at dawn.burdick@or.org, or call 607-241-0821.

Palm sunday

Palm Sunday celebrates two different stories that on first glance, don’t seem to go together. We begin Mass on Palm Sunday by celebrating Jesus’s triumphant journey to Jerusalem where people greet him with shouts and songs of acclamation and joy. Everything seems to be going well. Jesus is hailed as a King and people wave palm branches to show their honor for him. By the time we reach the Gospel, however, we hear the Passion of Jesus Christ, recalling the events leading up to his crucifixion and death on the cross. It may seem strange that these two extremes are celebrated on Palm Sunday, but that is the reality of the Paschal Mystery. There is only one story. Jesus’s life, death and resurrection are all connected. It is impossible to separate them as isolated events. The same is true for our lives.

Celebrating the Mass:

Palm Sunday Masses will be streamed ONLINE at 4:30 pm, Saturday April 4; and 8:30 am and 10:30 am, Sunday, April 5.

You can pick up blessed palms in any of our churches until April 11. The churches are open Monday-Friday 10 am - 11:45 am and 12:15 pm - 8 pm, Saturdays 11 am - 3 pm and Sundays 3 pm - 8 pm.

Holy Thursday

Lent ends on Holy Thursday evening and the Church then enters the Paschal Triduum - Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. The celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood, as well as Jesus’ command of love and service.

Celebrating the Mass:

Mass on Holy Thursday will be streamed ONLINE at 7pm, Thursday, April 9.

At Home Ritual: Washing of Feet - Foot washing has been a Holy Thursday practice since the seventh century. It is a concrete representation of our call to service and reminds us of Jesus’s example and command. Either before Mass, or at another time convenient for your household, have your own foot washing ritual. Find more detailed instructions by clicking here. (video explanation)

good friday

The traditional Good Friday liturgy contains three unique components: the reading of John’s Passion, the praying of The Solemn Intercessions, and the Adoration of the Holy Cross. Each of these helps us enter more fully into our relationship with Christ and recommits us to pray and work for the good of the church and world.

Celebrating the Liturgy:

The Good Friday liturgy will be streamed ONLINE at 3pm, Friday, April 10.

At Home Ritual: Adoration of the Cross - Find a cross or a crucifix in your own home and place it in a place of honor. On this day the Church does solemn prayers for many intentions before the crucified Lord. We invite you to write down your own intentions that you want to pray for at this beautiful liturgy, and place them underneath your cross at home. Instructions on how to participate in the unveiling of the Cross can be found by clicking here. (video explanation)

Holy Saturday

On this the greatest night of all, we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, which is symbolized by the new fire from which we light the Easter Candle. Every time we light this candle in church during the year it reminds us of the promise of eternal life, of the certainty of God’s victory, of our hope. The Easter Proclamation, called the Exultet, begins with “Exult, let them exult!” and then continues to trace God’s saving action throughout history. The name Exsultet comes from the first word of the prayer: Exult! As a Christian people we do exult, for Christ is risen from the dead and light banish-es all traces of darkness.